Results 21-40 of 5,794 for speaker:James Lawless

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Correspondence (10 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: The information that the Deputy has requested is not readily available, my staff are currently collecting and collating this information and I will come back to you as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (9 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: I propose to take Questions Nos. 283, 284 and 285 together. As Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science my sphere of responsibility extends only to publicly funded Further and Higher Educational Institutions and consequently I would advise the Deputy to seek a response regarding the other sectors to my respective Cabinet colleagues. I note and share...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Language Schools (9 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: I propose to take Questions Nos. 289 and 290 together. I propose to take questions 17788/25 and 17789/25 together. The English language school referred to by the Deputy is a private institution and does not come under the remit of my Department. Issues arising from contracts between students and private English language schools are a matter for the parties involved. Education providers...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Research and Development (9 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: There is a comprehensive and ambitious set of commitments for research and innovation in the new Programme for Government. This work will be progressed via a number of national policies and strategies, under the national research and innovation strategy Impact 2030. The formation of Taighde Éireann – Research Ireland in August 2024 is designed to build a more effective and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (9 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: The Higher Education Authority's Student Records System is my Department's primary source of statistics related to the higher education sector. The HEA can only provide the count of course names that were provided by the higher education institutions for the academic year 2023/24 as part of the student data returns. It is possible that some course are double counted due to the course changing...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (9 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: The Higher Education Authority's Student Record's system is my Departments primary source of statistics related to the higher education sector. The HEA can only provide the count of course names that were provided by the higher education institutions for the academic year 2023/24 as part of the student data returns. It is possible that some courses are double counted due to the course...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (9 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: Currently, there are 77 national apprenticeship programmes available. Of these, 75 have a National Framework Qualification (NFQ) level between 6 and 10. That is to say, from Advanced Higher Certificate to Doctoral Degree. The remaining two programmes are in scaffolding and butchery, and are offered at NFQ level 5. The number and variety of apprenticeship programmes has increased since the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Irish Sign Language (9 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: The Deputy will be aware that the Irish Sign Language Act 2017 (the Act) was enacted on 24th December 2017 and commenced on 23rd December 2020. The Act recognises the right of Irish Sign Language (ISL) users to use ISL as their native language, and to develop and preserve it. The Act places a statutory duty on all public bodies to provide ISL users with free interpretation when availing of or...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (8 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: I understand that the Leaving Certificate can be a stressful time for students and their families. This includes the decisions for students in determining their pathways into work or continued education through the Further Education and Training or Higher Education systems. My Department has been working tirelessly with the higher education and further education sectors to provide...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Post Leaving Certificate Courses (8 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1052 and 1053 together. My officials are liaising with SOLAS to prepare a response for the Deputy and I will follow up separately with the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (8 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: I understand that the Leaving Certificate can be a stressful time for students and their families. This includes the decisions for students in determining their pathways into work or continued education through the Further Education and Training or Higher Education systems. My Department has been working tirelessly with the higher education and further education sectors to provide...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (8 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: The Deputy refers to a " voluntary licensee register", however no such register exists for Student Accommodation. My staff have been in contact with the Deputy to clarify the request and are awaiting her response.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (8 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: The Deputy refers to a " voluntary licensee register", however no such register exists for Student Accommodation. My staff have been in contact with the Deputy to clarify the request and are awaiting her response.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (8 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: Under the Free Fees Initiative the State provides funding towards the tuition fee costs of eligible undergraduate Higher Education students exclusive of the student contribution. The State pays the student contribution (in full or part) on behalf of students who qualify under the student grant scheme. The student contribution was introduced in the 2011/12 academic year. The student...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Projects (8 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: Further and Higher Education Sector capital projects costs would be a matter for the respective education institution as the direct management of the vast majority of capital projects (with the exception of the PPP programmes) lie with the institutions delivering those projects. Many of the projects are co-funded by this Department, other Government Departments and Agencies and the institutes...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (8 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: As far as possible, apprentices are scheduled to the nearest available training location relative to their home location on the day of scheduling. However, as apprenticeship is a national programme not all programmes can be made available in every location. Apprentices are informed at registration that this may necessitate the requirement to travel to other counties. All craft programmes...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Budgets (8 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: Please see attached table outlining the current 2025 budgetary allocations (across both the Vote 45 and National Training Fund) to each of the higher education and research bodies as requested. Allocations were agreed as part of the Revised Estimates Volume for Public Services 2025 which was published in December 2024. Please note that the detailed budgetary allocations requested by the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff (8 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: There are 28 vacancies for Higher Executive Officer and above in my Department as on the 31st March 2025. Once a role becomes vacant, or a new post is created, the Department aims to fill the post as soon as possible using one of the available recruitment methods. Of the posts listed below, it is anticipated that approximately 70% of these will be filled by the end of 2025 subject to panel...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (8 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: I understand that the Leaving Certificate can be a stressful time for students and their families. This includes the decisions for students in determining their pathways into work or continued education through the Further Education and Training or Higher Education systems. My Department has been working tirelessly with the higher education and further education sectors to provide...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (8 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: My department's Public Service Apprenticeship Plan was launched in August 2023 and is a key commitment under the Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025. It seeks to grow the uptake of apprenticeship across the public service. Through 2024, my department and the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform (DPENDR) engaged with public service sectors to identify their skills...